1/3 cup of tomatoes; finely sliced
1/4 cup of chopped shallots
1 jalapeño pepper; finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro — or to taste
1/4 tsp. ground cumin — or to taste
Juice from two ripe limes
Combine all of the fresh veggies together before adding the avocados. Here is Mitchell’s tip on how to prevent guacamole from turning brown. (WTOP/Hanna Choi)
1 to 2 cups of chopped green peppers (1 or 2 medium peppers)
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 6 oz. canned tomato paste
1 8 oz. canned tomato sauce
2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 10 oz. can of Ro Tel mild diced tomatoes and green chilies, do not drain
1 40.5 oz. can of light red kidney beans, drained
1 package of McCormick’s chili seasoning for slow cookers The recipe is on the next slide. (WTOP/Hanna Choi)
2 large cans tomato sauce
3 cans kidney beans (alternating both light and dark)
1 onion, chopped into tiny, tiny pieces
2 medium-sized green peppers, chopped into slightly larger pieces
Chili powder
Garlic
Oregano
Ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper (comes in a bottle)
Basil leaves
4 Bay leaves
1 tasty alcoholic beverage of your choice Directions are on the next slide. (WTOP/Brandon Millman)
8 oz. bag of cheese of choice (I prefer a spicy cheese)
Small can of green chilies, chopped
8 oz. bottle of salsa
Mix chilies and cream cheese. (Let cream cheese get to room temperature for better mixing.) Then mix 4 oz. of cheese of choice and salsa with chilies and cream cheese. Add the extra 4 oz. of cheese on top and spread evenly. (WTOP/Hanna Choi)
WASHINGTON — Here at the Glass Enclosed Nerve Center, we take our party food very seriously — especially when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday.
Here are some tried-and-true favorites we’ll be cooking up for the big game.
Mitchell Miller’s Super Guacamole
Note: Everything must be fresh.
- 6 to 8 avocados
- 1/3 cup of tomatoes; finely sliced
- 1/4 cup of chopped shallots
- 1 jalapeño pepper; finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro — or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin — or to taste
- Juice from two ripe limes
Combine all of the fresh veggies together before adding the avocados.
Here is Mitchell’s tip on how to prevent guacamole from turning brown.
Debbie Feinstein’s Turkey and Spinach Enchiladas
Adapted from the Six O’Clock Scramble Cookbook by Aviva Goldfarb
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
- 1 package of frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/4 cups mild salsa (I use peach)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 soft taco flour tortillas
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Brown the turkey
- Thaw spinach in microwave and squeeze out all the extra water
- Pour off excess liquid from the ground turkey
- Add spinach to turkey
- Add chili powder, cumin and salsa
- Remove from heat and add shredded cheese
- Divide mixture among tortillas, roll them up and put in baking dish
- Sprinkle cheese across the top
- Cover with foil and bake about 15 minutes
- Remove foil for last five minutes and put under low broil to brown the cheese
- Cut into bite-sized pieces for appetizers or keep whole for entree
Mike Jakaitis’ Pork Barbecue
Ingredients:
- 6-8 lbs. pork shoulder or butt
- Olive oil
- Your favorite barbecue sauce
- Maple syrup
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ rub, if you are without a rub: 2 tbsp. garlic salt, 2 tbsp. black pepper, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. rosemary, 2 tbsp. paprika, 1/2 cup brown sugar
Directions:
Coat pork with olive oil. Massage your dry rub all over pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours. After refrigeration, bring pork back to room temperature. Massage brown sugar all over pork. Add drizzle of maple syrup to pork. Place pork in pan, skin side up.
Cook low and slow at 225 degrees, plan on 1.5-2 hours per pound. (A 6-lbs. roast will take about 12 hours.) You can also cook it “low and kind of slow:” Cover pork with aluminum foil and cook at 300 degrees for four hours. Remove foil and cook for another 2-2.5 hours. Remove pork from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. Take two forks and start shredding the meat. The meat should easily pull apart. Add your favorite sauce and serve on rolls, or eat meat itself.
Hillary Howard’s Mexican Salad
- Your favorite bagged salad
- Your favorite tortilla chips
- Your favorite salsa
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped onion
- Black olives
- Chick peas
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Baby tomatoes
- Limes
This couldn’t be easier. Empty lettuce in bowl. Add all ingredients. Crunch up tortilla chips and toss them in. Finish with lime juice and mix. Voilà!
Mark Lewis’ Bacon-Wrapped Little Smokes
- 1 lbs. center cut bacon
- 1 package little smokes sausages (can use turkey, beef or combo)
- 2 cups brown sugar (or more to taste)
Set oven at 375. Slice bacon into thirds (or pull it apart) and wrap around sausages. Dredge in brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate (for several hours, if not overnight to allow brown sugar to coat).
Arrange bacon-wrapped sausages on baking sheet with a rack or a broiling pan so that the bacon can drip while it cooks. May want to consider lining pan bottom with foil to make cleanup easier.
Bake until bacon is crisp and brown sugar has melted. It should take about 30 to 35 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of bacon used and whether you line the pan with foil.
Side Sauce For Little Smokes
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/3 cup reduced fat mayo
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- Several dashes of Mexican hot sauce
Combine all ingredients until brown sugar is blended well. Chill.
Reada Kessler’s Yummy Spinach Dip
In full disclosure, Reada Kessler snagged this recipe from the back of the Knorr Vegetable Soup package and then modified it.
- 1 package (10 oz.) baby spinach, chopped or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 16 oz. sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 package Knorrs Vegetable soup/dip mix (or any veggie dip mix)
- 1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (This is optional. It tastes great without them.)
- 3 scallions, chopped (optional)
Combine all ingredients and chill about two hours or overnight. Serve in a hollowed out bread bowl with bread and crackers for dipping.
Recipe modified from AllRecipes.com.
Mike McMearty’s Cream Cheese Dip
- One of those bricks of cream cheese
- 8 oz. bag of cheese of choice (I prefer a spicy cheese)
- Small can of green chilies, chopped
- 8 oz. bottle of salsa
Mix chilies and cream cheese. (Let cream cheese get to room temperature for better mixing.) Then mix 4 oz. of cheese of choice and salsa with chilies and cream cheese. Add the extra 4 oz. of cheese on top and spread evenly.
Molly Welton’s White Pizza Dip
This is the recipe off the Lipton’s soup mix box.
Ingredients:
- 1 envelope Herb With Garlic Soup Mix. (I used Lipton Recipe Secrets.)
- 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped pepperoni (optional — I used Turkey pepperoni.)
*Similar recipes add 4 ounces of cream cheese or they call for 8 ounces of sour cream.
Preheat oven to 350. In a 1-quart casserole, combine soup mix, sour cream, ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through. Instead of baking, you can put it in the crock pot for about two hours. Serve with sliced Italian or French bread, tortilla chips, crackers, etc.
Jack Taylor’s Shrimp Dip
- 1 lb. of cooked shrimp
- 1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 4 scallions
- Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tbsp. butter
In a frying pan, melt a tablespoon of butter; while it is melting, chop up peeled, un-tailed shrimp to texture — cook for four or five minutes, then add cream cheese and chopped scallions.
Let all ingredients combine, then add cayenne pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold later. If consistency is “watery,” you can add more cream cheese and unmelted butter to “firm up.”
Mike Jakaitis’ Football Meatloaf
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs. of meatloaf mix (sold in stores) OR 2 lbs. ground beef, 1 lb. ground pork, 1 lb. ground veal OR 4 lbs. of ground turkey
- 1 packet of onion soup mix
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
- Spices: 1 tbsp. of salt, 1 tbsp. pepper, 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 cup of oregano, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 cup sage.
- 1 to 2 eggs to bind everything together
- 1 or 2 pieces of string cheese (to make the laces)
To make the meatloaf:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT the string cheese. Mix well with your hands. Don’t be shy. Get in there! Shape like a football best you can. Put loaf in a pan with aluminum foil underneath to make cleanup easy.
To make the laces for the football:
Split one piece of the string cheese in half. Place on top of the loaf, press slightly to make a little dent in the loaf. After making the dent, put the cheese aside for later.
Baking directions:
Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour 20 minutes. Insert a thermometer at the top of the loaf. Make sure the temperature reaches at least 155 degrees. If it doesn’t bake a little longer. Place the string cheese back on top of the meatloaf for the laces. Take another piece of string cheese, peel of small piece to finish the laces.
Bruce Alan’s Artichoke Dip — h/t Michelle Dolge
- 2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
Mix ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with hot French bread.
Colleen Kelleher’s Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Serves six to eight, maybe more if they’re not too hungry.
- 2 lbs. ground turkey, 93 percent lean
- 1 to 2 cups of chopped green peppers (1 or 2 medium peppers)
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 6 oz. canned tomato paste
- 1 8 oz. canned tomato sauce
- 2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 10 oz. can of Ro Tel mild diced tomatoes and green chilies, do not drain
- 1 40.5 oz. can of light red kidney beans, drained
- 1 package of McCormick’s chili seasoning for slow cookers
This is a modified version of the recipe on the back of the McCormick’s seasoning package.
Brown the turkey and drain off the fat. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently fold everything together so the seasoning covers everything.
Line your slow cooker with those slow cooker liners, if you want your clean up to be easy. Transfer everything to the slow cooker. Set slow cooker to low for 8 hours (4 on high, if you are impatient.) Don’t lift the lid while it’s cooking.
When it’s done, top with shredded cheese, sour cream and chives and enjoy. If you are watching your calories, this is a great time to make the cheese and sour cream either reduced fat or fat-free.
Mike McMearty’s Weenies and Beanies
(Serves eight to ten)
- Handful of brown sugar (about half cup)
- 3/4 cup of Ketchup
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 1 lb. of Oscar Meyer bacon (Do not substitute)
- 2 large cans of Campbell’s baked beans (approx. 20 oz.)
- 1 package of Hebrew National kosher beef hot dogs (I sometimes use half of a second package)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the Oscar Meyer bacon slow over low heat. You want it crisp — well-done, but not burned. Place cooked bacon on paper towel. Cooked diced onions in bacon grease until brown.
While cooking the bacon and onion, empty both cans of beans into large casserole dish (you want something rectangular).
This is also a good opportunity to cut the hot dogs. The dogs are to be cut in diagonal crisscross fashion. The cute should be about halfway through the dogs, do not cut all the way through the dogs.
Line up five dogs at a time on a cutting board and make a long incision, diagonally across all the dogs at the same time, then switch directions. End result — you should have a crisscross pattern on the top of the dogs.
Add the ketchup and brown sugar to beans and stir. Crush bacon into small bits. You want little bite-size pieces that will fit on a spoon and that you’ll be able to taste. This is best done by hand.
Drain grease from onions. Add bacon bits and onions to beans and stir thoroughly until well-mixed.
Place the serrated hot dogs on top of the beans, submerging them 1/4 inch into the mixture. Cover entire casserole dish with tin foil and slide into the middle rack of the oven.
Peel back tin foil and check at 30 minutes. Beans should be boiling around the edges; dogs should be beginning to curl up. At this point, remove foil and turn on broiler. Broil entire casserole for about five minutes until dogs start to get golden brown singe. Check frequently during broiling!
On a dinner plate, squirt a large puddle of ketchup (about the size of a half dollar) and mustard (I recommend Grey Poupon or English’s Hot Mustard). The proper eating technique involves cutting off a bite-size piece of hot dog and dipping one end in the ketchup and the other in the mustard.
Careful, though: weens and beanies are so good. You’re likely to eat too much at one sitting.
Taylor’s Spicy Boneless Chicken Balls (also know as Jack’s Spicy Balls)
- 1 package of ground chicken
- 2 large clove of garlic
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs (to texture — not exceptionally runny)
- Frank’s RedHot Sauce (Wing or Hot Buffalo)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken, pressed garlic, breadcrumbs and cup of Frank’s sauce. Form mixture into balls on greased (Pam) baking sheet. Drizzle with Franks sauce.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes and then drain grease. Drizzle again with Frank’s sauce and cook again for 10 to 15 minutes. Recipe “invented by” Stacey Taylor, better half of Jack Taylor.
Samantha Loss’ Super-Easy, Super-Yummy Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 package cream cheese
- 1 jar salsa
- 1 package shredded cheddar cheese
Spread cream cheese into a microwave-safe pie plate. Pour salsa over the layer of cream cheese. Top entire dish with shredded cheddar cheese. Microwave on high for five minutes. Use favorite chips or veggies to dip — and enjoy!
Michelle Basch’s Hankie-Pankies
Mom used to make these, and they would be gone in a snap (even though they look ugly). My family nicknamed them “cat chow sandwiches.” Don’t let that stop you!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground round
- 1 lb. hot sausage
- 1 lb. Velveeta
- Garlic salt
- Oregano
- Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper
- Small, party size slices of rye bread
Brown beef and drain well. Add 1/4 tsp. garlic salt, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and a dash of pepper and mix well. Cube cheese, add to mixture, mix well and heat to melt. Spoon mixture onto bread and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
If you make them ahead and freeze them, you’ll get crispier bottoms.
Dana Gooley’s Cuban Chickpea Chili
This always goes over really well no matter who I make it for.
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of chickpeas
- 2 cups of ham, cubed
- 1 large Spanish onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, cut in strips or diced
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce, add as needed
- 1/2 cup Goya Sofrito
- 1 cup crumbled chorizo (or finely ground beef)
- Pinch of cumin
- Pinch (or big pinch) of cayenne pepper
In a large pot, add the broth, tomato sauce and Sofrito. Mix well. Add the chickpeas and simmer on low heat.
In a frying pan, heat the oil, cumin and cayenne, then add the onion, pepper, ham and chorizo. Cook until the onion is soft, then add everything into the sauce pot. Stir, simmer a little more, and serve.
Note: This can be made vegetarian without ham and chorizo — substitute other hearty vegetables for the meat.
Julia Ziegler’s Rotel Sausage Dip
Try this recipe for a quick and easy dip.
Ingredients:
- 1 tube breakfast sausage — saute until it’s cooked
- 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- Chop up 1 to 2 jalapeños
Mix the ingredients together and bake until it’s warm. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.
Brandon Millman’s “Chili Con Brandon”
This recipe is best if you have a rather large slow cooker to maximize cooking time and flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 packages Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers™ Recipe Crumbles™
- 2 large cans tomato sauce
- 3 cans kidney beans (alternating both light and dark)
- 1 onion, chopped into tiny, tiny pieces
- 2 medium-sized green peppers, chopped into slightly larger pieces
- Chili powder
- Garlic
- Oregano
- Ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- Crushed red pepper (comes in a bottle)
- Basil leaves
- 4 Bay leaves
- 1 tasty alcoholic beverage of your choice
Warm beef crumbles in pan on stove while plugging-in slow cooker. Add the kidney beans and tomato sauce to said slow cooker, mixing in the beef crumbles when sufficiently warm.
Lightly season the mixture while adding onion and green pepper. Replace lid and let simmer on a low setting for approximately six-ish hours.
Vigorously stir every 60 minutes, initially adding more and more of the seasoning the first two to three hours. Begin adding 1/2 of the tasty alcoholic beverage two hours into cooking, adding the last 1/2 in the fourth hour.
Remove lid at six-ish hour mark to let cook open for a final 30 to 60 minutes, to allow for some thickening. Continue to vigorously stir at the appropriate intervals until the chili is, in your humble opinion, done.
Serve with saltine crackers (or whatever suits your eclectic taste buds).
Reada Kessler’s Neiman Marcus Dip
This recipe was all over Pinterest under that name, and some blogs seemed to think it was served in their cafes in early years and was in a cookbook they used to sell as well.
Ingredients:
- 5-6 green onions
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits
- 1 package of slivered almonds
Chop the green onions. Mix all ingredients together. Chill for a few hours and serve with your favorite dippers.
Rachel Nania’s Oreo Cookie Dip
This recipe stood out on Pinterest for a few reasons: It’s easy to make, requires just a few ingredients and it’s filled with ‘Double Stuf’ Oreos.
Plus, it’s cute. I followed/modified the recipe from the blog Shugary Sweets.
Ingredients:
- 1 package of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup of butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 18 Double Stuf Oreos
- Mini chocolate morsels
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. (Stop at this point and save a few spoonfuls of this mixture to decorate the laces of the football.)
Crush the Oreos in a plastic bag and add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend completely and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Take out the chilled mixture and shape it into a football shape. Cover it completely with the mini morsels and use the saved cream cheese, butter and powered sugar mixture to decorate the football with laces. Serve with graham crackers, pretzels or your dipper of choice.
Mike Jakaitis’ Pizza Biscuit Bread
This recipe is a modified version of Pillsbury’s Pizza Bubble Ring.
Ingredients:
- Squeeze butter
- Italian seasoning to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
- 2 big cans of biscuits
- 1 lb. pepperoni
- 1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
- Your favorite pizza sauce
- 1 bundt cake pan
- 1 defibrillator
Slice biscuits in half, fill with cheese and at least 6 pepperoni slices. Dip them in the melted butter, then cut into quarters. Place biscuit pieces in a large bowl with more pepperoni—at least 25 pieces and 8 oz of cheese. Season and mix.
Take a bundt pan, spray with nonstick spray or grease with melted butter. Make one layer in the pan, top with pepperoni and cheese, smother it, repeat.
Bake in over for about 30 minutes at 350. Take out of bundt pan, slice and serve. (And keep defibrillator nearby.)
Rick Massimo’s Red Lentils with Shallots
This dish is imperfectly remembered from “Vegetarian India,” by Madhur Jaffrey.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup red lentils (The whole ones are probably better, but harder to find, and the split ones cook faster)
- Turmeric
- Asafetida
- Whole cumin seeds – about a teaspoon or two
- A shallot, cut up in rings, which are then halved
- 2-3 dried arbol peppers (or red pepper flakes)
- Butter
Cook the lentils in about 4 cups of water. Bring them to a boil, skim off the foam with a spoon, then stir in maybe a 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of turmeric and turn the heat to low. Cook them until they’re mushy – probably 30-45 minutes if they’re split, and hour or more if they’re whole. (When they’re done, you might decide you want more salt; up to you.)
Heat up some oil in a separate pan over medium heat. If you’re using the asafetida (also known as hing), put it in now: a pinch if it’s powdered, a piece a little smaller than a fennel seed if it’s the pure stuff. When it’s sizzling, pour in the cumin seeds. Give them about 10 seconds, then throw in the shallot and keep cooking until it’s pretty brown, and the peppers until they’re almost black on one side.
Then throw the oil, spices and all, into the pot with the lentils, throw in a pat or two of butter, and put the lid back on right away –- you want to keep all the aromas inside. Let it sit 10-15 minutes; stir it up and take out the peppers.
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